How to Help Your Employees Maintain Work-Life Balance

Employee wellness is vital to the success of any business. Helping your employees maintain a better work-life balance is the key to cultivating a healthy, happy, and thriving workforce.

As workplace culture evolves, employees are no longer prioritizing higher pay or promotions (although these are still important). Instead, workers are primarily focused on finding a better balance between work and personal life. In fact, a recent study published in the Harvard Business Review revealed that the number one priority for most modern employees is flexibility with the end goal being a better work-life balance. With this in mind, many companies are implementing changes to ensure that this balance is met.

With so much technology readily available, many employees find it difficult to disconnect from work even during times when the focus should be on family or personal pursuits. Over time, this can cause a great deal of stress, which in turn can take its toll on physical and mental health. As the APA states, work-related stress can lead to anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, and even heart disease.

“At Mission Group, we know that people are at the heart of everything we do, in every respect,” notes Debbie Rehm, Vice President of Human Resources at Mission Group. “That extends from those who live and work in the communities we build, to those that do the building, and everything in between. It’s very important to us as an organization that we implement policies and benefits that minimize employee stress, offer flexibility, and reward employees for their hard work.”

Employee perks including a flexible PTO policy, occasional company trips, tuition support for professional development, health benefits, and an RRSP matching program all work to help employees feel valued and promote work-life balance at Mission Group. “These are just a natural extension of our corporate values,” notes Rehm, “and we strive to model a healthy work-life balance throughout the organization so that everyone feels comfortable in exercising these benefits.”

How to Help Your Employees Maintain a Better Work-Life Balance

There are many benefits to encouraging your employees to find a better work-life balance including a workforce that is healthy, motivated, and more productive. In addition, companies that follow these practices will retain employees for longer and have an upper hand when it comes to recruiting new talent. Here are a few ways you can encourage a better work-life balance for your employees.

Ask your employees what they want and need: What works for one company or group of individuals may not work for others. The easiest way to determine what would make your employees happier and more productive is to ask them directly. Depending on the size of your workforce, this could be in the form of a survey, a staff meeting, or one-on-one conversations.

Be flexible with hours: After months of working from home, many employees are reluctant to return to strictly regimented office hours. A Deloitte Workplace Flexibility Study reported that 94% of professionals said they would benefit from more flexibility. By allowing your employees to work when they want, you empower them to manage their own time and give them the freedom to attend to personal matters when needed.

Encourage breaks: It’s no secret that sitting for long periods of time is not good for physical or mental health. Employees should be given the opportunity to take short breaks throughout the day so they can get some exercise, take in a change of scenery, gain a bit of perspective, or make personal calls or texts if needed.

Review workloads regularly: When looking from the top down, it’s not always easy to see how much pressure workers may be under. Make an effort to understand what tasks your employees are working on and how much work is required to complete those tasks. Touch base with your employees to determine how much bandwidth they have and assign tasks accordingly.

Workplace culture is changing to meet the demands of employees, the majority of whom now value work-life balance above anything else. In response, office buildings are following suit. The Block is Kelowna’s first Class A office tower and a perfect example of the future of workspaces. At The Block, business meets balance with customizable floorplates, pet-friendly facilities, bicycle storage, a lush rooftop patio, and retail and dining venues.